After making his film debut in Raging Bull (1980), Turturro attended Yale University's graduate drama program and acted on stage in New York City, winning an Obie for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (1984). He returned to film with The Flamingo Kid (1984); his other movies include Do the Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Quiz Show (1994), for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination, Unstrung Heroes (1995), and He Got Game (1998). He wrote, directed, and starred in 1993's Mac, winning an award at Cannes for Best New Director.